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Method and apparatus for controlling human-computer interface systems providing force feedback |
| 7605800 |
Method and apparatus for controlling human-computer interface systems providing force feedback
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| Patent Drawings: | |
| Inventor: |
Rosenberg |
| Date Issued: |
October 20, 2009 |
| Application: |
11/338,095 |
| Filed: |
January 23, 2006 |
| Inventors: |
Rosenberg; Louis B. (Pleasanton, CA)
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| Assignee: |
Immersion Corporation (San Jose, CA) |
| Primary Examiner: |
Brier; Jeffery A |
| Assistant Examiner: |
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| Attorney Or Agent: |
Kilpatrick Stockton |
| U.S. Class: |
345/156; 345/157 |
| Field Of Search: |
345/156; 345/157; 345/161; 345/163; 345/184; 715/701; 715/702; 436/30; 436/38; 244/223; 318/568.1; 318/568.11 |
| International Class: |
G06F 3/033 |
| U.S Patent Documents: |
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| Foreign Patent Documents: |
0085518; 0 349 086; 0626614; 0626634; 2254911; H2-185278; H4-8381; 4034610; H5-192449; H7-24147; WO 95/02233; WO 9502801; WO 9520787; WO 9520788; WO 9532459; WO 9616397; WO 9622591; WO 9642078 |
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| Abstract: |
A method and apparatus for controlling and providing force feedback using an interface device manipulated by a user. A microprocessor is provided local to the interface device and reads sensor data from sensors that describes the position and/or other information about an object grasped and moved by the user, such as a joystick. The microprocessor provides the sensor data to a host computer that is coupled to the interface device by a communication bus that preferably includes a serial interface. In a "host-controlled" embodiment, the host computer calculates force values using the sensor data and other parameters of a host application program and sends the force values to the local microprocessor, which directly provides the force values to actuators to apply forces to the user object. In a "reflex" embodiment, the host computer sends high level supervisory commands to the local microprocessor, and the microprocessor independently implements a local process based on the high level command for reading sensor data and providing force values to the actuators using sensor data and other parameters. |
| Claim: |
What is claimed is:
1. An interface device, comprising: an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom; a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the atleast one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, the sensor signal being responsive to the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom; a processor coupled to said sensor, said processor configured to send inputdata to a host computer, the input data being associated with the sensor signal and being usable by a host application program, the processor further configured to select a low-level force command based on a high-level force command received from thehost computer, the low-level force command including a force magnitude value; and an actuator mechanically coupled to the object, the actuator configured to output haptic feedback based on the selected low-level force command received from theprocessor.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force command is associated with a time interval.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the force magnitude value of the low-level force command is pre-calculated and stored on the host computer prior to being received by the processor.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the low-level force command is received by the processor based on a signal associated with a collision event being simulated on the host computer.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a joystick.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a mouse.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a steering wheel.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a medical instrument.
9. A method, comprising: receiving input data from a processor located at and coupled to an input device, the input data including position data based on a position of the input device; generating a force command in a host computer, the forcecommand responsive to the position data received from the processor, the force command including one of a high-level force command or a low-level force command; and sending the force command from the host computer to the processor, the high-level forcecommand operative to cause the processor to select a subroutine from a plurality of predetermined subroutines and output a force signal associated with the selected subroutine, and the low-level force command operative to cause the processor to output aforce signal associated with the low-level force command.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the subroutine is operative to instruct the processor to select the low-level force command.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the low-level force command causes the processor to output a force signal to an actuator, the low-level force command being responsive to sensor data received from a sensor coupled to the processor.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving and the sending is performed over a serial data interface.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: storing a force profile as at least one force magnitude value in a memory coupled to the processor.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: selecting the force profile from the memory based on the force command.
15. A method, comprising: detecting a position of an object, the object configured to move in at least one degree of freedom; outputting a sensor signal, the sensor signal responsive to the position of the object in the at least one degree offreedom; sending input data responsive to the sensor signal to a host computer, the input data being operative to interact with a host application program running on the host computer; receiving a high-level force command and a low-level force commandat a processor local to the object; receiving a force magnitude value associated with the low-level force command at the processor; sending a force signal responsive to at least the received low-level force command and the received force magnitudevalue from the processor to an actuator coupled to the object; and generating a haptic feedback signal responsive to the force signal by the actuator.
16. A method, comprising: receiving input data from a processor coupled to an input device, the input data including position data responsive to a position of the input device, the input data received at a host computer; generating a forcecommand responsive to the position data received from the processor, said force command generated by the host computer; sending force commands from the host computer to the processor, the force commands including one of a high-level force command or alow-level force command, the high-level force command operative to cause the processor to select a force output and to output a pre-determined force signal associated with the selected force output, the force signal being associated with a forcemagnitude included in the force output, the low-level force command operative to cause the processor to output a force signal associated with a force magnitude included in the low-level force command.
17. An apparatus, comprising: an object configured to be moved in at least one degree of freedom; a sensor configured to detect a position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom and configured to output a sensor signal, thesensor signal responsive to the position of said object in the at least one degree of freedom; a processor coupled to the sensor, said processor configured to send input data to a host computer, the input data responsive to the sensor signal and usableby a host application program, the processor further configured to select a low-level force command based on a high-level force command received from the host computer, the processor configured to output a low-level force actuator command associated withthe low-level-force command, the low-level force actuator command including a force magnitude value; and an actuator coupled to the processor and configured to output haptic feedback responsive to the selected low-level force actuator command. |
| Description: |
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